Your News Talk America · Show Notes

Wednesday, May 20, 2026 · Guest host Brig. Gen. (ret) Blaine Holt sitting in for Jake Smith

9:06 · Show Open & Monologue

Brig. Gen. (ret) Holt opens the show as guest host, lays out the day's themes, and previews the panel. The throughline: "Now where do we go?" Energy pain at the pump, an unfolding US and global health picture, the state of liberty in America, and the fight against child exploitation and trafficking.

• California's refinery crisis as the kickoff topic, framed as a self-inflicted wound with national consequences.
• A health policy reckoning that goes beyond any single headline.
• Constitutional guardrails and what "liberty in America" looks like in 2026.
• Why child trafficking is no longer a "somewhere else" problem.
• Audio clip to be slotted in at the open.

9:20 · California's Refinery Collapse with Mike Ariza

California is hemorrhaging refining capacity. Phillips 66 and Valero are among the operators shutting down or scaling back, with as much as 30% of the state's gasoline production potentially headed offline. Imports are stepping in, prices are climbing for families already squeezed, and the political class in Sacramento shows no signs of changing course. Mike Ariza brings the view from inside the gate.

• What's actually happening on the ground at California refineries, in plain English.
• Why this feels engineered, not accidental, and who pays the bill.
• Imports filling the gap: cost, reliability, and national security implications.
• Is there a smarter path forward, or is the Golden State the test case for the rest of the country?

About Mike Ariza: Former senior refinery supervisor and controller at Valero's Benicia Refinery. Petroleum and oil & gas expert with deep operational experience inside California's refining sector.

10:03 · The US and Global Health Reckoning with Dr. Peter McCullough

Americans are waking up to what increasingly looks like a rolling health crisis that runs deeper than any single headline. Dr. Peter McCullough walks through what the data actually show, where institutional trust broke, and how families can protect themselves while open scientific debate gets restored.

• Lingering effects of recent pandemics: what's measurable versus what's narrative.
• Policy choices that sidelined scientific debate, and the price of that.
• Practical steps to protect your family right now.
• Why "global health" risks becoming code for top-down control that leaves Americans sicker and less free.

About Dr. Peter McCullough: Internationally recognized cardiologist and epidemiologist, and a leading voice on US and global health policy. More at petermcculloughmd.com.

10:33 · Liberty in America 2026 with LTC (ret) Darin Gaub

LTC Gaub spent a career defending the republic overseas. Now he argues the real fight for liberty is right here at home. From government overreach to eroding constitutional guardrails, where exactly does the battle stand, and what does reclaiming it look like without losing the country in the process?

• The current state of constitutional guardrails and where the cracks are widest.
• Government overreach: federal, state, and the quiet administrative layer beneath both.
• What "liberty in America" actually means in 2026, in concrete terms.
• How citizens push back without burning down the republic they swore to defend.

About LTC (ret) Darin Gaub: Retired US Army Lieutenant Colonel, aviator, Presidential Honor Guard veteran with multiple combat deployments. Co-founder of Restore Liberty, leadership coach, and longtime advocate for constitutional principles.

11:06 · Child Exploitation and the Fight to Shut It Down with Nate Lewis

Child exploitation and trafficking are no longer a "somewhere else" problem. Nate Lewis founded The Innocent Mission after a career fighting it at the highest levels, and he joins the show to tell parents, citizens, and policymakers what is actually happening inside the United States right now, and what real protection looks like.

• What's driving the surge in domestic child exploitation cases.
• How traffickers operate inside the US and where the networks intersect with the border.
• Turning public awareness into measurable protection for kids.
• What parents, teachers, and local officials can do this week, not next year.
• Listener questions encouraged on DIAL.

About Nate Lewis: Founder and CEO of The Innocent Mission. Combat veteran of the global fight against child sex trafficking and exploitation, and former executive with major international anti-trafficking organizations.

11:45 · Salute the Troops & After-Logue

Holt closes out with the daily Salute the Troops and a tight wrap of what the panel just put on the table. Encouragement for listeners who missed segments to go back and catch the replay, plus a plug for Dangerous Intellectuals and Holt's appearances on Newsmax.

• Top takeaways from the day's four interviews.
• Where to find Dangerous Intellectuals and Holt on Newsmax.
• Teeing up the next show and the issues still on the table.

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